Bobcats Named MAC East Co-Champions with Win over Kent State
In the final match of the regular season, the Ohio Bobcats were named the Mid-American Conference East Division Co-Champions following their 3-1 (25-21, 20-25, 25-20, 25-10) victory over the Kent State Golden Flashes. The Bobcats, who finished the regular season 18-12, will share the East DIvision Championship title with Buffalo as both teams finished with a 13-5 conference record.
This marks the 14th East Division title for the Ohio volleyball program and their first championship since 2015.
Graduate student MB Caitlin O’Farrell led the Bobcats with 18 total kills and three blocks. Freshman OH Kam Hunt tallied 13 kills, three aces and five digs, while sophomore OPP Anna Kharchynska finished with 12 kills, six digs and three blocks. Senior Setter Tria McLean recorded an impressive 42 assists, 10 digs, two aces and a career-high 10 kills, while senior Libero Sam Steele led the Bobcat defense with 23 digs and six assists, with a .905 reception percentage on 19 total attacks.
The Golden Flashes were led offensively by sophomore OH Mackenzie McGuire’s 12 kills and three blocks. Freshman OH Logan Henderson added on 10 kills and matched her career-high four blocks. Sophomore Setter Kendall White finished the night with a double-double of 34 assists and 11 digs. Senior Libero Bryn Roberts led the Golden Flashes’ defense with 20 digs, finishing her career 10th on the Flashes’ all-time digs list with 1,162.
What’s Next?
The Bobcats will be back in action as they will travel to Kalamazoo, Michigan for the 2023 MAC Volleyball Championships. The conference championship, hosted by #1 seed Western Michigan, is set to begin on Saturday, November 18, with official seeding and brackets will be released prior to the start of the tournament.